Dragon Orb
The Dragon Orb is one of the Four Treasures of the Valkyrie Profile universe. Appearing as a large luminous globe, it ensures the stability of Midgard, the world of humans. It plays a prominent role in both Valkyrie Profile and Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. Mechanics and usage The Dragon Orb is a very powerful artifact, being able to sustain an entire world. It can be used for destructive purposes, but doing so uses some of its power and therefore weakens it, making it a last-resort solution. The Orb can be transported by hand, by humans and gods alike, but storing it for any long amount of time seems to require a special dais: a tall, tree-like stone structure surrounded by a powerful force field. Whether this force field is designed to contain the Orb's power or to protect it from enemies, however, is unknown. History/Storyline Some 700 years prior to the events of Valkyrie Profile (500 years prior to the events of Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria), a tribe tasked with the protection of the Orb existed on Midgard. They appear to have constructed shrines specifically designed for its protection and periodically moved the Orb between them. Eventually, the Orb was placed in the Palace of the Venerated Dragon, at which point the tribe appears to have dwindled. Its precise fate is unknown, but part of its descendants went on to found Dipan. Valkyrie Profile Chapter 7 Due to the events of Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, Odin still has the Orb in his possession, likely in a bid to destabilize Midgard and for extra firepower for Ragnarok. The Orb's absence causes imbalance, poverty and war, thus giving him the opportunity to recruit more Einherjar for Ragnarok. However, if Ending A is triggered, the Orb is stolen by Loki. If Lucian is sent up to Asgard in Chapter 5 or 6, Loki tricks him into using the Water Mirror to communicate with Lenneth, causing a distraction which enables him to steal the Orb. Once he has it in his possession, he kills Lucian and attempts to blame the theft of the Orb on him. Chapter 8 Odin and Freya are suspicious of the circumstances surrounding these events, but they nevertheless order Lenneth to look for the Orb on Midgard. Since Lucian used the Water Mirror, they may believe that he sent the Orb back to its original resting place. Lenneth searches the Palace of the Dragon, but finds it empty. Gandar, a villainous Sorcerer from Villnore, who is also searching for the Orb, happens to be in the Palace at the same time, and Freya orders Lenneth to kill him for his presumption and recruit him as an Einherjar, so that Hel cannot use his powers. Ending A When the seal on Lenneth's memories of her life as Platina breaks after visiting the Weeping Lily Meadow, Odin attempts to replace her with Hrist by casting the Sovereign's Rite. However, her soul resists, and, with the help of her remaining Einherjar, Arngrim and Mystina, as well as Lezard, she is temporarily placed inside the body of a half-elven homunculus while they others challenge Hrist to retrieve the Valkyrie's body. This sojourn in a mortal vessel grants her the ability to grow (much like Odin himself). In the meantime, Loki travels to Jotunheim and attempts to forge an alliance with Surt by offering him the Dragon Orb, Fenrir and Bloodbane, who has swallowed the Demon Sword "Levantine". However, Surt refuses to consort with monsters, which prompts Loki to kill him and challenge Odin on his own, laying waste to Asgard in the process. At this point, Lenneth, who has recovered her real body, arrives to confront him. Using the power of the Dragon Orb, he annihilates Midgard, but the screams of the souls of its denizens awaken Lenneth's compassion, and she is able to gain the power of Creation. She then restores both Midgard and Asgard, and defeats Loki. It is not specified what happens to the Orb after this. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Chapter 2 When Alicia first returns to Dipan after her exile, she discovers that the King and his Three Mages are planning to use the Dragon Orb in their plan to create a world separate from Yggdrasil, and thus independent of the gods' rule. Since this would destabilize Midgard, Silmeria is furious and decides to find the Orb herself, so that Alicia may become its guardian and protect it from both Dipan and Odin, who also seeks to claim it, possibly as a preventive measure after learning of Dipan's rebellion. Chapter 3 After a confrontation with Barbarossa and the Three Mages, Alicia's party is rescued from Dipan Castle by Lezard, who has travelled back in time and is masquerading as the Mages' apprentice. He explains Dipan's plans and offers to help the party locate the Orb by taking them to its latest known location, the Serdberg Mountain Ruins. While exploring, the party encounters what appears to be a duo of treasure hunting mercenaries, Arngrim (as one of his former incarnations) and Leone. In reality, Leone is Hrist in disguise, sent by Odin to have the party lead her to the Orb, and while Silmeria is aware of her presence, she chooses to keep it a secret, as she is unwilling to risk a confrontation in her weakened state. She does, however, warn Alicia to be on her guard. The Orb is no longer in the Ruins, but Silmeria is able to use her powers of Object Reading on the dais that held it to determine that it was taken to Audoula Temple on the Lake. From there, the party traces the Orb in the same way to Surts Volcano Caverns, Crawsus Forest Ruins and finally the Palace of the Venerated Dragon. As Alicia is about to claim the Orb, Hrist drops her disguise, steals it, kills Arngrim, who attempted to attack her for deceiving them, and returns to Valhalla. Chapter 4 Originally, Odin planned to capture Brahms, the Lord of the Undead, whom Silmeria sheltered within one of her Einherjar, and use his soul as a replacement for the Dragon Orb to stabilize Midgard. However, when the occasion to capture him finally presents itself, during the confrontation between Silmeria and Hrist after the destruction of Dipan in Chapter 4, he appears to change his mind. He decides to let Midgard descend into chaos, despite Freya's warnings that its destruction would affect Asgard as well. Chapter 5 After kidnapping Silmeria in Chapter 4, Lezard tracks Alicia and Rufus to Asgard, as they attempt to retrieve the Orb and have Rufus replace Odin. When they finally reach the top of Yggdrasil, where the knowledge of the gods is said to be contained, they confront Odin. Lezard appears under the pretense of helping them, but ends up killing Odin and stealing Gungnir, disappearing with both. With its Treasure gone, Asgard has to rely on the Dragon Orb to maintain its own stability. However, Alicia and Rufus travel to the Hall of Valhalla to retrieve it and rescue Brahms. They meet Arngrim along the way and find both the Orb and Brahms' crystal near the Water Mirror. Alicia suggests using it to transport both back to Midgard, but while they are attempting to do so, Hrist arrives. She asks for help defeating Lezard, who has created a pocket dimension using the combined powers of Silmeria and Gungnir. Alicia agrees, under the condition that Brahms be freed and the Dragon Orb returned to Midgard. Scandalized that humans would attempt to bargain with gods, Freya intervenes, but Hrist takes a stand and uses the Orb to subdue her. In the ensuing commotion, the party escapes to Lezard's dimension through the Water Mirror, which is cracked in the process. Chapter 6 Arngrim suggests simply destroying the entire dimension with the Orb, but Hrist explains that this would weaken the Orb's power and render it unable to sustain Midgard. The party therefore has no choice but to confront Lezard directly. He is eventually defeated, albeit at the cost of Alicia's and the Valkyries' lives, and as his pocket dimension is about to crumble, the remaining members of the party escape by using a shard of the broken Water Mirror. Rufus returns Gungnir to Asgard, taking Odin's place, and Arngrim decides to become the new guardian of the Dragon Orb on Midgard, at Brahms' request. Great Magic The Dragon Orb's power is also featured as a Great Magic in Valkyrie Profile, unique to Loki (and his Seraphic Gate counterpart Loki Shade). He will alternate between casting it or Carnage Anthem every four turns, and will always cast it when his HP falls below 25%. Miscellaneous *Considering the Dragon Orb's general appearance, which is very similar to that of a sealstone, and the fact that it requires a dais for its safekeeping on Midgard, it is possible that it is actually an extremely powerful sealstone. *If the Dragon Orb's power diminishes with each destructive use, it is debatable whether it is still able to sustain Midgard after the use Loki makes of it in Valkyrie Profile. However, this issue is never addressed in the games. Category:Item